“Chaosheng?” Xiang Xian shook Chaosheng awake and said, “I saw that deer from before!”
“What?” Chaosheng rubbed his sleepy eyes and got up from in front of the White Ape.
“Why are you all wet?” Hulü Guang asked.
“We…” Xiao Kun’s clothes had been tugged into disarray, and half of Xiang Xian’s body was soaked through. They truly had no way to answer, but fortunately, Xiang Xian quickly replied: “The deer! Chaosheng! The deer!”
Chaosheng looked utterly bewildered. He had completely forgotten the encounter with the White Deer and the Black-Winged Great Peng in Chang’an. It took him a good while before he remembered and said, “Ah! Where is it?”
The group hurriedly packed up and left the camp. Wu Yingzong checked the map and said, “In this direction—up ahead is the heart of Kunlun Mountain.”
“A Huang, go scout ahead,” Xiang Xian said.
They quickened their pace, traversing the mountain peaks along the Pilgrimage Road. By noon, the biting cold winds grew even fiercer. Countless wisps of frigid mist and thick layers of clouds surged endlessly, rolling over the ridges and pouring down. Amid the clouds, thunder and lightning seemed to clash and roar once more.
When they reached the final stretch of the Pilgrimage Road, the clouds and mist suddenly parted, revealing a paradise hidden within the mountain basin.
“We’re here!” Hulü Guang said. “I’ll go down first.”
This section of the path was extremely steep, like a heavenly ladder. Deep in the basin lay a village, which must have been the secluded one marked on the map. It had been established over eight hundred years ago, and in the Qiang language, it was called “Pulang,” meaning the place where birds nested.
Hulü Guang slid down the heavenly ladder swiftly and arrived at the outskirts of the village. Looking out, he saw a crowd gathered in the open space outside the village, so he hurried over and called out. The locals all turned to look at him.
“Outlanders?” someone said. “How did outlanders come here?”
The inhabitants here belonged to an ancient branch of the Qiang Clan and spoke an ancient Qiang dialect. Though Hulü Guang understood them, he did not reply.
He slowly approached the open space and saw A Huang perched on a tree branch. In the middle of the space lay an injured snow-white stag, its body emanating a faint, pure white glow.
The stag was truly magnificent. Even lying on its side, its chest and legs displayed elegant lines, and its antlers resembled blooming flowers, sprouting countless vibrant branches of life.
It locked eyes with Hulü Guang.
Hulü Guang momentarily forgot about his companions and slowly walked toward the stag. He noticed a severe wound on its chest and abdomen, from which fresh red blood flowed.
“Who are you?” The stag actually spoke in human tongue.
“I…” Hulü Guang immediately replied, “My companions are coming… coming to save you!”
Though Hulü Guang did not know the legends of the White Deer, he had grown accustomed to the string of bizarre events that occurred while traveling with Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun. He guessed it was a member of the Yao Clan. Blood continued to pour from the White Deer’s chest and abdomen, so Hulü Guang quickly removed his upper garment and clumsily pressed it against the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding.
In his panic, a faint light from the Heart Lamp emanated from Hulü Guang’s hand, soothing the stag’s injury.
The stag said no more and looked toward the distant heavenly ladder. A White Ape carried Chaosheng as they descended the ladder at an accelerated pace, rushing toward it.
“It’s you!” Chaosheng exclaimed in shock, never expecting to see it here again.
The stag appeared exhausted. Chaosheng hurried to its side, placed his hand on its pierced abdomen, closed his eyes, and murmured an incantation.
The bleeding stopped, and the wound healed. Hulü Guang said from the side, “Chaosheng can heal any injury—as long as there’s life left, he can save them. Don’t worry.”
The White Deer fell silent and looked toward Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun, who arrived soon after. Moments later, it managed to stand.
“Can we talk for a bit?” Xiang Xian asked. “Last time, we didn’t get a chance to speak properly.”
The villagers retreated to a distance. Seeing them apparently acquainted, along with the White Ape and stag radiating an immortal aura, they assumed these were people connected to Kunlun’s immortals. Local legends abounded, so the residents were not overly surprised. Some even emerged to kneel and pay respects.
“On the peak of Taihang Mountains, I intercepted the Black-Winged Great Peng,” the White Deer said flatly. “I finally defeated it.”
Xiao Kun and Xiang Xian were both stunned.
“You’re badly injured too,” Chaosheng said with slight concern. “The external wounds have healed, but your vital energy is depleted. You need medicine—don’t run around anymore.”
“Thank you,” the White Deer said.
“What medicine do you need?” Wu Yingzong asked. “Will ordinary herbs work?”
Chaosheng shook his head and said, “We need to return to the White Jade Palace. It’s there.”
The White Deer turned to Chaosheng again and said, “Last time in Daming Palace, after your aid and my battle to the death with the Black-Winged Great Peng, I thought of Kunlun—perhaps there was still a slim chance of survival. That’s why I fled from Qilian Mountain to seek help here.”
Chaosheng understood. He stroked the White Deer’s head and hugged its neck, comforting it: “It’s alright now.”
Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun exchanged glances, wondering what irreconcilable enmity this immortal deer held against the Black-Winged Great Peng, chasing it across thousands of li over the vast Shenzhou Great Land just to kill it.
“How did you manage it?” Xiao Kun asked.
“I shot its Demon Core,” the White Deer explained in the same calm tone. “I’ll tell you the details slowly later.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Kun knew the White Deer would not simply pass by this time and might become a great ally in their future endeavors. He instructed, “Old Wu, let’s find a place to stay first.”
It was nearing afternoon, and the clouds shrouding Jade Bead Peak were faintly visible. Wu Yingzong found lodging in the village—compared to their days of exposure to the elements on the road, this was finally a stable shelter.
